Method and device for cleaning robot to escape from trouble, medium and electronic equipment

Abstract

The application provides a cleaning robot escape method, a cleaning robot escape device, a computer readable storage medium and an electronic device. The method comprises the following steps: when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and turns around while cleaning along the edge of a first surface medium area, in response to a surface medium change signal of a surface medium sensor, a second surface medium area is detected, and an established room map is searched to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map; it is determined whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium area; if the path exists, the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area; and if the path does not exist, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along a cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area. The method can improve the automatic escape ability of the cleaning robot, reduce the failure rate of the cleaning robot, and improve the user experience.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on February 10, 2021, with application number 202110184810.7 and entitled "Method and Apparatus for Cleaning Robot to Escape Difficulty, Medium and Electronic Equipment". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of smart homes, and more specifically, to a method for a cleaning robot to escape from obstacles, a device for a cleaning robot to escape from obstacles, a computer-readable storage medium, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, with the rapid development of computer technology and artificial intelligence, intelligent robot technology has gradually become a hot topic in the field of modern robotics research. Among them, the robotic vacuum cleaner, as one of the most practical intelligent robots, can automatically complete the task of cleaning the floor with a certain degree of artificial intelligence.

[0004] Currently, more and more families are laying carpets. When a robot vacuum cleaner finishes cleaning the narrow gap between the carpet and the wall, it is easy to get stuck when turning around.

[0005] However, there is currently no way to deal with the above-mentioned stuck phenomenon. The robot vacuum cleaner can only remain stuck or wait for human intervention to free it. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method, device, computer-readable storage medium, and electronic device for a cleaning robot to escape from obstacles, thereby solving at least one of the aforementioned technical problems. The specific solution is as follows:

[0007] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for escaping a cleaning robot, for a cleaning robot including a surface medium sensor, comprising: when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of a first surface medium region, in response to a surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor, detecting a second surface medium region, searching an established room map, determining whether the second surface medium region exists in the room map, and controlling the cleaning robot to escape the obstacle.

[0008] Optionally, the method further includes: if the second surface medium region exists in the room map, then based on the boundary of the second surface medium region in the room map and the room map, determining whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium region, and controlling the cleaning robot to escape the obstacle.

[0009] Optionally, the method further includes: if the path exists, controlling the cleaning robot to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: if the path does not exist, controlling the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes: if the second surface medium region does not exist in the room map, then scanning the edge of the second surface medium region and storing the scanning result in the room map.

[0012] Optionally, when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area, in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor and after detecting the second surface medium area, the method further includes: detecting whether at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area; if at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area, controlling the cleaning robot to run in reverse to leave the second surface medium area.

[0013] Optionally, detecting whether at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium region includes: detecting whether the location of the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot is already within the second surface medium region; if the location of the surface medium sensor is already within the second surface medium region, then determining that the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium region.

[0014] Optionally, detecting whether the location of the ultrasonic sensor of the cleaning robot is within the second surface medium area includes: controlling the surface medium sensor to vertically emit an ultrasonic signal towards the current surface and receiving the actual echo signal reflected by the current surface; wherein, the surface medium sensor is an ultrasonic sensor; determining whether the actual echo signal is different from the echo signal of the first surface medium area, and if there is a difference, determining that the location of the surface medium sensor is within the second surface medium area.

[0015] Optionally, controlling the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path includes: when it is determined that the cleaning robot has detached from the second surface medium area, controlling the cleaning robot to rotate in place so that the traveling direction of the cleaning robot is parallel to the edge of the first surface medium area; and controlling the cleaning robot to return in the traveling direction.

[0016] Optionally, after detecting the second surface medium area, the method further includes: detecting whether the cleaned path of the cleaning robot is a wall-following path; if the cleaned path of the cleaning robot is the wall-following path, then controlling the cleaning robot to return along the wall-following path.

[0017] Optionally, based on the room map, it can be determined whether the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area; if the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area, the cleaning robot can be controlled to return according to the cleaned path.

[0018] Optionally, the cleaning robot's return along the wall path or the cleaned path includes: controlling the cleaning robot to retreat along the wall path or the cleaned path; rotating in place after retreating a preset distance; if a second surface medium area is detected in response to a surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor, controlling the cleaning robot to continue retreating until the surface medium sensor no longer detects the surface medium change signal.

[0019] Optionally, if the path does not exist, the method further includes ignoring the surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor and continuing to control the cleaning robot to turn back along the cleaned path.

[0020] Optionally, in the process of ignoring the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor and controlling the cleaning robot to turn back along the cleaned path, the method further includes: detecting whether the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor has disappeared; if the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor has disappeared, controlling the cleaning robot to continue forward a preset distance and then stop and rotate one revolution, and detecting whether the cleaning robot has left the second surface medium area.

[0021] Optionally, detecting whether the cleaning robot has left the second surface medium area includes: if the surface medium sensor triggers a surface medium change signal, controlling the cleaning robot to continue returning along the cleaned path; if the surface medium sensor does not trigger a surface medium change signal, entering normal cleaning mode.

[0022] Optionally, the method is used when the cleaning robot is in a mode that only cleans the first surface medium area.

[0023] Secondly, the present invention provides a cleaning robot escape device, which is installed on a cleaning robot including a surface medium sensor, comprising: a surface medium determination module, configured to detect a second surface medium area in response to a surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of a first surface medium area, and searches an established room map to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map, and control the cleaning robot to escape from the obstacle.

[0024] Thirdly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method for escaping a cleaning robot from a difficult situation.

[0025] Fourthly, the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising:

[0026] Processor; and

[0027] Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor;

[0028] The processor is configured to execute the above-described cleaning robot escape method by executing the executable instructions.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the cleaning robot escape method provided by the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a method for how to escape when the cleaning robot turns its direction after completing the cleaning of a narrow area of ​​a specified material, thereby avoiding the situation of the cleaning robot getting stuck, improving the cleaning robot's ability to automatically escape, reducing the failure rate of the cleaning robot, and thus improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of one side drive wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a front view of a one-side drive wheel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the dustbin according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a fan according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the dust box in the open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the dust box and fan assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 An exploded view of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of an automatic cleaning equipment support platform according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of a vibrating component of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning head drive mechanism based on a crank-slider mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning head drive mechanism based on a double crank mechanism, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a cleaning head drive mechanism based on a crank mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the raised state of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the sinking state of an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the four-bar linkage lifting structure in the raised state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the four-bar linkage lifting structure in a lowered state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the second end structure of a four-bar linkage lifting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 20 A route diagram of a cleaning robot cleaning along a wall is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 21 This diagram illustrates a cleaning robot stuck while cleaning along a wall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 22 The diagram illustrates the cleaning path of a cleaning robot along the edge of a carpet according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0053] Figure 23 The diagram illustrates the cleaning path of a cleaning robot along the edge of a carpet according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0054] Figure 24 The diagram illustrates the cleaning path of a cleaning robot along the edge of a carpet according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0055] Figure 25 This diagram illustrates a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention when it gets stuck while cleaning along the edge of a carpet.

[0056] Figure 26 A flowchart illustrating a method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0057] Figure 27 The diagram shows an echo waveform received by an ultrasonic sensor from a normal ground surface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 28 The diagram shows an echo waveform received from a carpet surface by an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 29 A block diagram of a cleaning robot escaping device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0060] Figure 30 A schematic diagram of a module of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0061] Figure 31 A schematic diagram of a program product according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0062] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0063] The terminology used in the embodiments of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in the embodiments of this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, and “multiple” generally includes at least two unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0064] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0065] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe... in the embodiments of the present invention, these... should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish... For example, first... may also be referred to as second... without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present invention, and similarly, second... may also be referred to as first...

[0066] Depending on the context, the words “if” or “suppose” as used here can be interpreted as “when” or “in response to determination” or “in response to detection.” Similarly, depending on the context, the phrases “if determination” or “if detection (of the stated condition or event)” can be interpreted as “when determination” or “in response to determination” or “when detection (of the stated condition or event)” or “in response to detection (of the stated condition or event).”

[0067] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or device that includes said element.

[0068] Figures 1-2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an automatic cleaning device according to an exemplary embodiment, such as... Figures 1-2 As shown, the automatic cleaning equipment can be a vacuum cleaning robot, a mopping / brushing robot, a window-climbing robot, etc. This automatic cleaning equipment can include a mobile platform 100, a sensing system 120, a control system 130, a drive system 140, a cleaning module 150, an energy system 160, and a human-machine interaction system 170. Among them:

[0069] The mobile platform 100 can be configured to automatically move along a target direction on an operating surface. The operating surface can be the surface to be cleaned by the automatic cleaning device. In some embodiments, the automatic cleaning device can be a floor-mopping robot, in which case the automatic cleaning device works on the ground, and the ground serves as the operating surface; the automatic cleaning device can also be a window-cleaning robot, in which case the automatic cleaning device works on the outer surface of a building's glass, and the glass serves as the operating surface; the automatic cleaning device can also be a pipe-cleaning robot, in which case the automatic cleaning device works on the inner surface of a pipe, and the inner surface of the pipe serves as the operating surface. For purely illustrative purposes, the following description in this application uses a floor-mopping robot as an example.

[0070] In some embodiments, the mobile platform 100 can be an autonomous mobile platform or a non-autonomous mobile platform. An autonomous mobile platform means that the mobile platform 100 itself can automatically and adaptively make operational decisions based on unexpected environmental inputs; a non-autonomous mobile platform itself cannot adaptively make operational decisions based on unexpected environmental inputs, but can execute predetermined programs or operate according to certain logic. Accordingly, when the mobile platform 100 is an autonomous mobile platform, the target direction can be determined autonomously by the automatic cleaning equipment; when the mobile platform 100 is a non-autonomous mobile platform, the target direction can be set by the system or manually. When the mobile platform 100 is an autonomous mobile platform, the mobile platform 100 includes a forward portion 111 and a backward portion 110.

[0071] The sensing system 120 includes a position determination device 121 located above the mobile platform 100, a buffer 122 located in the forward part 111 of the mobile platform 100, a cliff sensor 123 located at the bottom of the mobile platform, and sensing devices such as an ultrasonic sensor (not shown), an infrared sensor (not shown), a magnetometer (not shown), an accelerometer (not shown), a gyroscope (not shown), and an odometer (not shown), which provide the control system 130 with various position information and motion status information of the machine.

[0072] To more clearly describe the behavior of the automatic cleaning equipment, the following directional definitions are made: The automatic cleaning equipment can travel on the ground through various combinations of movement relative to the following three mutually perpendicular axes defined by the moving platform 100: the lateral axis x, the front-to-back axis y, and the central vertical axis z. The forward drive direction along the front-to-back axis y is labeled "forward," and the backward drive direction along the front-to-back axis y is labeled "backward." The lateral axis x essentially extends along an axis defined by the center point of the drive wheel assembly 141 between the right and left wheels of the automatic cleaning equipment. The automatic cleaning equipment can rotate about the x-axis. When the forward portion of the automatic cleaning equipment tilts upward and the backward portion tilts downward, it is called "tilting up," and when the forward portion tilts downward and the backward portion tilts upward, it is called "tilting down." Additionally, the automatic cleaning equipment can rotate about the z-axis. In the forward direction of the automatic cleaning equipment, when the automatic cleaning equipment tilts to the right of the y-axis, it is called "turning right," and when the automatic cleaning equipment tilts to the left of the y-axis, it is called "turning left."

[0073] like Figure 2 As shown, cliff sensors 123 are provided on the bottom of the mobile platform 100 and in front of and behind the drive wheel assembly 141. These cliff sensors 123 are used to prevent the automatic cleaning equipment from falling when it reverses, thereby avoiding damage to the automatic cleaning equipment. The aforementioned "front" refers to the side that is in the same direction as the automatic cleaning equipment's travel direction, and the aforementioned "rear" refers to the side that is in the opposite direction to the automatic cleaning equipment's travel direction.

[0074] The location determination device 121 includes, but is not limited to, a camera and a laser rangefinder (LDS Laser Direct Structuring).

[0075] The components in the sensing system 120 can operate independently or in combination to achieve the intended function more accurately. The cliff sensor 123 and the ultrasonic sensor identify the surface to be cleaned to determine its physical characteristics, including surface medium, cleanliness, etc., and can be combined with cameras, laser rangefinders, etc. for more accurate judgment.

[0076] For example, an ultrasonic sensor can be used to determine whether the surface to be cleaned is a carpet. If the ultrasonic sensor determines that the surface to be cleaned is carpet material, the control system 130 controls the automatic cleaning equipment to perform carpet cleaning.

[0077] The forward portion 111 of the mobile platform 100 is provided with a buffer 122. During the cleaning process, when the drive wheel assembly 141 propels the automatic cleaning device to move on the ground, the buffer 122 detects one or more events (or objects) in the travel path of the automatic cleaning device via a sensor system, such as an infrared sensor. The automatic cleaning device can control the drive wheel assembly 141 to respond to the events (or objects) detected by the buffer 122, such as obstacles or walls, for example, by moving away from the obstacles.

[0078] The control system 130 is mounted on a circuit board within the mobile platform 100. It includes a computing processor, such as a central processing unit or application processor, that communicates with non-transitory memory (e.g., hard disk, flash memory, random access memory). The application processor is configured to receive environmental information sensed by the multiple sensors from the sensing system 120, and, based on obstacle information fed back by the laser rangefinder, utilize a positioning algorithm, such as SLAM, to create a real-time map of the environment in which the automatic cleaning equipment is located. Based on the environmental information and the environmental map, it autonomously determines a driving path and then controls the drive system 140 to perform forward, backward, and / or turning operations based on the autonomously determined driving path. Furthermore, the control system 130 can also determine whether to activate the cleaning module 150 to perform cleaning operations based on the environmental information and the environmental map.

[0079] Specifically, the control system 130 can combine distance and speed information fed back from the buffer 122, cliff sensor 123, and other sensing devices such as ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, magnetometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and odometers to comprehensively determine the current working state of the sweeper, such as crossing a threshold, stepping on a carpet, being on a cliff, being stuck above or below, having a full dustbin, or being picked up. It will also provide specific next action strategies for different situations, making the automatic cleaning equipment work more in line with the user's requirements and providing a better user experience. Furthermore, the control system can plan the most efficient and reasonable cleaning path and cleaning method based on real-time map information generated by SLAM, greatly improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic cleaning equipment.

[0080] The drive system 140 can execute drive commands to manipulate the automatic cleaning equipment to travel across the ground based on specific distance and angle information, such as x, y and θ components. Figure 3 , Figure 4The figures show a perspective view and a front view of one side drive wheel assembly 141 in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the drive system 140 includes the drive wheel assembly 141. The drive system 140 can simultaneously control the left and right wheels. For more precise control of the machine's movement, the drive system 140 preferably includes a left drive wheel assembly and a right drive wheel assembly. The left and right drive wheel assemblies are symmetrically arranged along a transverse axis defined by the moving platform 100. Each drive wheel assembly includes a housing and a connecting frame. A drive motor 146 is respectively disposed within the drive wheel assembly. The drive motor 146 is located outside the drive wheel assembly 141, and the axis of the drive motor 146 is located within the cross-sectional projection of the drive wheel assembly. The drive wheel assembly 141 can also be connected to a circuit for measuring drive current and an odometer.

[0081] In order for the automatic cleaning equipment to move more stably or with greater mobility on the ground, the automatic cleaning equipment may include one or more steering components 142. The steering component 142 may be a driven wheel or a drive wheel, and its structure may include, but is not limited to, a swivel wheel. The steering component 142 may be located in front of the drive wheel assembly 141.

[0082] The drive motor 146 provides power for the rotation of the drive wheel assembly 141 and / or the steering assembly 142.

[0083] The drive wheel assembly 141 can be detachably connected to the mobile platform 100 for easy disassembly and maintenance. The drive wheel may have an offset drop suspension system, which is movably secured, for example, rotatably attached, to the mobile platform 100 of the automatic cleaning equipment, and is maintained in contact with the ground and traction by a certain ground force through an elastic element 143, such as a tension spring or a compression spring, while the cleaning module 150 of the automatic cleaning equipment also contacts the surface to be cleaned with a certain pressure.

[0084] The energy system 160 includes rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion batteries. These rechargeable batteries can be connected to a charging control circuit, a battery pack charging temperature detection circuit, and a battery undervoltage monitoring circuit. These circuits are then connected to a microcontroller control circuit. The main unit connects to a charging station via charging electrodes located on the side or bottom of the device. If dust adheres to the exposed charging electrodes, the cumulative effect of charge during charging can cause the plastic casing around the electrodes to melt and deform, or even deform the electrodes themselves, preventing normal charging.

[0085] The human-machine interface system 170 includes buttons on the main control panel for users to select functions; it may also include a display screen and / or indicator lights and / or a speaker, which show the user the current machine status or function options; and it may also include a mobile client application. For path navigation cleaning equipment, the mobile client can display a map of the environment where the equipment is located, as well as the machine's position, providing users with richer and more user-friendly functions.

[0086] The cleaning module 150 may include a dry cleaning module 151 and / or a wet cleaning module 400.

[0087] like Figures 5-8 As shown, the dry cleaning module 151 includes a roller brush, a dustbin, a fan, and an air outlet. The roller brush, which has some interference with the ground, sweeps up debris from the ground and carries it to the suction port between the roller brush and the dustbin. The debris is then drawn into the dustbin by the suction generated by the fan and passing through the dustbin. The dust removal capacity of a sweeper can be characterized by its dustpickup efficiency (DPU). DPU is affected by the roller brush structure and material, the airflow utilization rate of the air duct formed by the suction port, dustbin, fan, air outlet, and connecting components, and the type and power of the fan, making it a complex system design problem. Compared to ordinary plug-in vacuum cleaners, improved dust removal capacity is more significant for energy-constrained automatic cleaning equipment. This is because improved dust removal capacity directly and effectively reduces energy requirements. In other words, a machine that could clean 80 square meters on a single charge can now clean 180 square meters or even more on a single charge. Furthermore, the reduced number of charging cycles significantly increases battery life, leading to more frequent battery replacements. More intuitively and importantly, the improved dust removal capability is the most noticeable and crucial aspect of the user experience, allowing users to directly conclude whether the sweeping / wiping is effective. The dry cleaning module may also include a side brush 157 with a rotating shaft at an angle relative to the ground to move debris into the roller brush area of ​​the cleaning module 150.

[0088] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the dust box 152 in the dry cleaning module. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fan 156 in the dry cleaning module. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the open state of dustbin 152. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly status of the dust box and fan.

[0089] The roller brush, which has some interference with the ground, sweeps up the garbage on the ground and rolls it to the front of the suction port 154 between the roller brush and the dust box 152. Then, the suction gas generated by the fan 156 and passing through the dust box 152 is sucked into the dust box 152. The garbage is isolated by the filter screen 153 inside the dust box 152 on the side near the suction port 154. The filter screen 153 completely isolates the suction port from the air outlet. The filtered air enters the fan 156 through the air outlet 155.

[0090] Typically, the suction port 154 of the dust box 152 is located at the front of the machine, the air outlet 155 is located on the side of the dust box 152, and the suction port of the fan 156 is connected to the air outlet of the dust box.

[0091] The front panel of dustbin 152 can be opened to clean the dustbin 152.

[0092] The filter 153 and the dust box 152 are detachably connected, which facilitates the removal and cleaning of the filter.

[0093] like Figures 9-11 As shown, the wet cleaning module 400 provided by the present invention is configured to clean at least a portion of the operating surface using a wet cleaning method. The wet cleaning module 400 includes a cleaning head 410 and a drive unit 420. The cleaning head 410 is used to clean at least a portion of the operating surface, and the drive unit 420 is used to drive the cleaning head 410 to reciprocate along a target surface, which is a part of the operating surface. The cleaning head 410 reciprocates along the surface to be cleaned. A cleaning cloth or cleaning plate is provided on the contact surface between the cleaning head 410 and the surface to be cleaned. The reciprocating motion generates high-frequency friction with the surface to be cleaned, thereby removing stains from the surface. The reciprocating motion can be repeated movement along any one or more directions within the operating surface, or it can be vibration perpendicular to the operating surface; there are no strict limitations on this.

[0094] like Figure 9 As shown, the drive unit 420 includes: a drive platform 421 connected to the bottom surface of the mobile platform 100 for providing driving force; and a support platform 422 detachably connected to the drive platform 421 for supporting the cleaning head 410 and being able to be raised and lowered under the drive of the drive platform 421.

[0095] A lifting module is provided between the cleaning module 150 and the mobile platform 100 to enable the cleaning module 150 to make better contact with the surface to be cleaned, or to adopt different cleaning strategies for different materials of the surface to be cleaned.

[0096] The dry cleaning module 151 can be connected to the mobile platform 100 via a passive lifting module. When the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle, the dry cleaning module 151 can more easily overcome the obstacle via the lifting module.

[0097] The wet cleaning module 400 can be connected to the mobile platform 100 via an active lifting module. When the wet cleaning module 400 is not working temporarily, or when there is a surface that cannot be cleaned by the wet cleaning module 400, the wet cleaning module 400 can be lifted by the active lifting module to separate it from the surface, thereby changing the cleaning method.

[0098] like Figures 10-11 As shown, the drive platform 421 includes: a motor 4211, which is disposed on the side of the drive platform 421 near the moving platform 100 and outputs power through the motor output shaft; a drive wheel 4212, which is connected to the motor output shaft and has an asymmetrical structure; and a vibrating element 4213, which is disposed on the side of the drive platform 421 opposite to the motor 4211 and connected to the drive wheel 4212, and achieves reciprocating motion under the asymmetrical rotation of the drive wheel 4212.

[0099] The drive platform 421 may further include a drive wheel and a gear mechanism. The gear mechanism 235 can connect the motor 4211 and the drive wheel 4212. The motor 4211 can directly drive the drive wheel 4212 to rotate, or it can indirectly drive the drive wheel 4212 to rotate through the gear mechanism. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the gear mechanism can be a single gear or a gear set composed of multiple gears.

[0100] The motor 4211 transmits power simultaneously to the cleaning head 410, drive platform 421, support platform 422, water delivery mechanism, water tank, etc., via a power transmission device. The energy system 160 provides power and energy to the motor 4211 and is controlled as a whole by the control system 130. The power transmission device can be a gear drive, chain drive, belt drive, or worm gear, etc.

[0101] The motor 4211 includes a forward output mode and a reverse output mode. In the forward output mode, the motor 4211 rotates in the forward direction, and in the reverse output mode, the motor 4211 rotates in the reverse direction. In the forward output mode, the motor 4211 can simultaneously drive the cleaning head 410 and the water delivery mechanism in the wet cleaning component 400 to move synchronously through the power transmission device.

[0102] Furthermore, the drive platform 421 also includes a connecting rod 4214 extending along the edge of the drive platform 421, connecting the drive wheel 4212 and the vibrating element 4213, so that the vibrating element 4213 extends to a preset position, wherein the extension direction of the vibrating element 4213 is perpendicular to the connecting rod 4214.

[0103] The motor 4211 is connected to the drive wheel 4212, the vibrating element 4213, the connecting rod 4214, and the vibration buffer device 4215 via a power transmission device. When the wet cleaning assembly 400 is started, the motor 4211 starts working and begins to rotate forward. The motor 4211 drives the connecting rod 4214 to reciprocate along the surface of the drive platform 421 via the drive wheel 4212. At the same time, the vibration buffer device 4215 drives the vibrating element 4213 to reciprocate along the surface of the drive platform 421. The vibrating element 4213 carries the cleaning substrate 4221 to reciprocate along the surface of the support platform 422. The cleaning substrate 4221 carries the moving area 412 to reciprocate along the surface to be cleaned. At this time, the water pump causes clean water to flow from the clean water tank and sprays clean water onto the cleaning head 410 through the water outlet device 4217. The cleaning head 410 then cleans the surface to be cleaned through reciprocating motion.

[0104] The cleaning intensity / efficiency of the automatic cleaning equipment can also be automatically and dynamically adjusted according to the working environment. For example, the automatic cleaning equipment can dynamically adjust based on the physical information of the surface to be cleaned detected by the sensing system 120. For example, the sensing system 120 can detect the flatness of the surface to be cleaned, the material of the surface to be cleaned, whether there is oil and dust, etc., and transmit this information to the control system 130 of the automatic cleaning equipment. Accordingly, the control system 130 can instruct the automatic cleaning equipment to automatically and dynamically adjust the motor speed and the transmission ratio of the power transmission device according to the working environment, thereby adjusting the preset reciprocating cycle of the cleaning head 410.

[0105] For example, when the automatic cleaning equipment operates on a flat surface, the preset reciprocating cycle can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be longer, and the water volume of the pump can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be smaller; when the automatic cleaning equipment operates on a less flat surface, the preset reciprocating cycle can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be shorter, and the water volume of the pump can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be larger. This is because flat surfaces are easier to clean than uneven surfaces, therefore cleaning uneven surfaces requires the cleaning head 410 to reciprocate more frequently (i.e., at a higher frequency) and use a larger volume of water.

[0106] For example, when the automatic cleaning device is working on a desktop, the preset reciprocating cycle can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be longer, and the water volume of the pump can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be smaller; when the automatic cleaning device 100 is working on the ground, the preset reciprocating cycle can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be shorter, and the water volume of the pump can be automatically and dynamically adjusted to be larger. This is because, compared to the ground, desktops have less dust and oil, and the materials that make up the desktop are easier to clean. Therefore, the cleaning head 410 needs to perform fewer reciprocating movements, and the water pump needs to provide a relatively small amount of water to clean the desktop.

[0107] The support platform 422 includes a cleaning substrate 4221, which is freely movably disposed on the support platform 422. The cleaning substrate 4221 reciprocates under the vibration of the vibrating element 4213. Optionally, the cleaning substrate 4221 includes an assembly notch (not shown), which is disposed at a position in contact with the vibrating element 4213. When the support platform 422 is connected to the drive platform 421, the vibrating element 4213 is assembled into the assembly notch, so that the cleaning substrate 4221 can reciprocate synchronously with the vibrating element 4213.

[0108] Figure 12 Another cleaning head drive mechanism 800 based on a crank-slider mechanism according to several embodiments of this application is shown. The drive mechanism 800 can be applied to a drive platform 421. The drive mechanism 800 includes a drive wheel 4212, a vibrator 4213, a cleaning base plate 4221, a slide 4222 (first slide), and a slide 4223 (second slide).

[0109] Slides 4222 and 4223 are formed on the support platform 422. The cleaning substrate 4221 has sliders 525 (first slider) and 528 (second slider) at its two ends. Sliders 525 and 528 are protrusions at both ends of the cleaning substrate 4221. Slider 525 is inserted into slide 4222 and can slide along slide 4222; slider 4223 is inserted into slide 4223 and can slide along slide 4223. In some embodiments, slide 4222 and slide 4223 are on the same straight line. In some embodiments, slide 4222 and slide 4223 are not on the same straight line. In some embodiments, slide 4222 and slide 4223 extend in the same direction. In some embodiments, the extending direction of slide 4222 and slide 4223 is the same as the extending direction of the cleaning substrate 4221. In some embodiments, the extending direction of slide 4222 and slide 4223 is different from the extending direction of the cleaning substrate 4221. In some embodiments, the extension directions of slide 4222 and slide 4223 are different. For example, Figure 12As shown, the extension direction of the slide 4222 is the same as the extension direction of the cleaning substrate 4221, while the extension direction of the slide 4223 is at a certain angle to the extension direction of the slide 4222.

[0110] The vibrating element 4213 includes a rotating end 512 and a sliding end 514. The rotating end 512 is connected to the drive wheel 4212 via a first pivot 516, and the sliding end 514 is connected to the cleaning substrate 4221 via a second pivot 518.

[0111] The rotation center of the drive wheel 4212 is point O, and the rotation center of the first pivot 516 is point A. Point O and point A do not coincide, and the distance between them is a preset distance d.

[0112] When the drive wheel 4212 rotates, point A rotates in a circular motion. Correspondingly, the rotating end 512 follows point A in a circular rotation; the sliding end 514 drives the cleaning substrate 4221 to slide via the second pivot 518. Correspondingly, the slider 525 of the cleaning substrate 4221 reciprocates linearly along the groove 4222; the slider 528 reciprocates linearly along the groove 4223. Figure 4 In this embodiment, the moving platform 210 moves at a speed of V0, and its direction of movement is the target direction. According to some embodiments, when the slides 4223 and 4222 are approximately perpendicular to the direction of the moving platform 210's speed V0, the overall displacement of the cleaning substrate 4221 is generally perpendicular to the target direction. According to other embodiments, when either slide 4223 or 4222 forms an angle other than 90 degrees with the target direction, the overall displacement of the cleaning substrate 4221 simultaneously includes components perpendicular to and parallel to the target direction.

[0113] Furthermore, a vibration damping device 4215 is provided on the connecting rod 4214 to reduce vibration in a specific direction. In this embodiment, it is used to reduce vibration in the direction of the moving component perpendicular to the target direction of the automatic cleaning equipment.

[0114] Figure 13 Another cleaning head drive mechanism 600 based on a double crank mechanism according to several embodiments of this application is shown. The drive mechanism 600 can be applied to a drive platform 421. The drive mechanism 600 includes a drive wheel 4212 (first drive wheel), a drive wheel 4212' (second drive wheel), and a cleaning substrate 4221.

[0115] The cleaning substrate 4221 has two ends. The first end is connected to the drive wheel 4212 via a pivot 624 (first pivot); the second end is connected to the drive wheel 4212' via a pivot 626 (second pivot). The rotation center of the drive wheel 4212 is point O, and the pivot center of the pivot 624 is point A. Points O and A do not coincide, and the distance between them is a preset distance d. The rotation center of the drive wheel 236 is point O', and the pivot center of the pivot 626 is point A'. Points O' and A' do not coincide, and the distance between them is a preset distance d. In some embodiments, points A, A', O, and O' are located on the same plane. Therefore, the drive wheel 4212, drive wheel 4212', and cleaning substrate 4221 can form a double-crankshaft mechanism (or a parallelogram mechanism), wherein the cleaning substrate 4221 acts as a coupling rod, and the drive wheels 4212 and 4212' act as two cranks.

[0116] Furthermore, a vibration damping device 4215 is provided on the connecting rod 4214 to reduce vibration in a specific direction. In this embodiment, it is used to reduce vibration in the direction of the moving component perpendicular to the target direction of the automatic cleaning equipment.

[0117] Figure 14 A crank-slider mechanism-based drive mechanism 700 according to several embodiments of this application is shown. The drive mechanism 700 can be applied to a drive platform 421. The drive mechanism 700 includes a drive wheel 4212, a cleaning plate 4221, and a groove 4222.

[0118] A groove 4222 is formed on the support platform 422. The cleaning substrate 4221 includes a rotating end 4227 and a sliding end 4226. The rotating end 4227 is connected to the drive wheel 4212 via a pivot 4228. The rotation center of the drive wheel 4212 is point O, and the pivot center of the rotating end pivot 4228 is point A. Points O and A do not coincide, and the distance between them is a preset distance d. The sliding end 4226 includes a slider 4225. The slider 4225 is a protrusion on the sliding end 4226. The slider 4225 is inserted into the groove 4222 and can slide along the groove 4222. Therefore, the drive wheel 4221, the cleaning substrate 4221, the slider 4225, and the groove 4222 constitute a crank-slider mechanism.

[0119] When the drive wheel 4212 rotates, point A makes a circular rotational motion. Correspondingly, the rotating end 4227 of the cleaning substrate 4221 follows point A in making a circular rotational motion; while the slider 4225 slides in the groove 4222, making a reciprocating linear motion. As a result, the cleaning substrate 4221 begins to reciprocate. According to some embodiments, the groove 4222 is approximately perpendicular to the target direction of the moving platform's speed; therefore, the linear movement of the sliding end 4226 includes a component perpendicular to the target direction, and the circular rotational motion of the rotating end 4227 includes both components perpendicular to and parallel to the target direction.

[0120] exist Figure 14 In this process, the moving platform moves at a speed of V0 and moves in the target direction; while the chute 4222 is approximately perpendicular to the target direction. At this time, the reciprocating motion of the cleaning substrate 4221 as a whole has both a movement component parallel to the target direction of the automatic cleaning equipment and a movement component perpendicular to the target direction of the automatic cleaning equipment.

[0121] Furthermore, a vibration damping device 4215 is provided on the connecting rod 4214 to reduce vibration in a specific direction. In this embodiment, it is used to reduce vibration in the direction of the moving component perpendicular to the target direction of the automatic cleaning equipment.

[0122] Furthermore, the support platform 422 also includes: a resilient release button 4229, disposed on at least one side of the support platform 422, for detachably connecting the support platform 422 to the claw 4216 of the drive platform 421. At least one assembly area 4224 is disposed on the support platform 422 for assembling the cleaning head 410. The assembly area 4224 may be formed of an adhesive material with an adhesive layer.

[0123] like Figure 9 As shown, the cleaning head 410 includes a movable region 412 connected to the cleaning substrate 4221, which reciprocates along the cleaning surface under the drive of the cleaning substrate 4221. The movable region 412 is located approximately at the center of the cleaning head 410. An adhesive layer is provided on the side of the movable region 412 that connects to the cleaning substrate 4221, and the movable region 412 and the cleaning substrate 4221 are connected through the adhesive layer.

[0124] Optionally, the cleaning head 410 further includes a fixing area 411 connected to the bottom of the support platform 422 via the at least one mounting area 4224, wherein the fixing area 411 cleans at least a portion of the operating surface as the support platform 422 moves.

[0125] Furthermore, the cleaning head 410 also includes a flexible connecting portion 413, disposed between the fixed area 411 and the movable area 412, for connecting the fixed area 411 and the movable area 412. The cleaning head 410 also includes a sliding buckle 414, extending along the edge of the cleaning head 410, and detachably mounted at the snap-fit ​​position 4225 of the support platform 422.

[0126] like Figure 9 As shown, the cleaning head 410 can be made of a material with a certain degree of elasticity. The cleaning head 410 is fixed to the surface of the support platform 422 by an adhesive layer, thereby realizing reciprocating motion. When the cleaning head 410 is working, the cleaning head 410 is always in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

[0127] The water delivery mechanism includes a water outlet device 4217, which can be directly or indirectly connected to the cleaning liquid outlet of a water tank (not shown), i.e., the outlet of the clean water tank. The cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid outlet of the water tank to the water outlet device 4217 and is evenly applied to the surface to be cleaned. The water outlet device may be equipped with a connector (not shown), which connects it to the cleaning liquid outlet of the water tank. The water outlet device has a distribution port, which can be a continuous opening or a combination of several discontinuous small openings. Several nozzles may be provided at the distribution port. The cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid outlet of the water tank and the connector of the water outlet device to the distribution port, and is evenly applied to the working surface through the distribution port.

[0128] The water delivery mechanism may also include a clean water pump 4219 and / or a clean water pump pipe 4218. The clean water pump 4219 may be directly connected to the cleaning liquid outlet of the water tank, or it may be connected through the clean water pump pipe 4218.

[0129] The clean water pump 4219 can be connected to the connector of the water outlet device and can be configured to draw the cleaning fluid from the water tank to the water outlet device. The clean water pump can be a gear pump, vane pump, plunger pump, peristaltic pump, etc.

[0130] The water delivery mechanism draws cleaning solution from the water tank via a water pump 4219 and a water pump pipe 4218, and delivers it to a water outlet device 4217. The water outlet device 4217 can be a nozzle, drip hole, or a damp cloth, etc., and evenly distributes water onto the cleaning head, thereby wetting the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned. Stains on the wetted surface are more easily cleaned. In the wet cleaning assembly 400, the power / flow rate of the water pump is adjustable.

[0131] In the above wet cleaning module, by adding a driving unit and a vibration area, the cleaning head can move reciprocally, so that it can clean repeatedly on the surface to be cleaned, and multiple cleanings can be achieved by passing through a certain area once in the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot, thus greatly enhancing the cleaning effect, especially for areas with more stains, the cleaning effect is obvious.

[0132] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a liftable automatic cleaning device, including: a mobile platform 100 configured to automatically move on an operation surface; a wet cleaning module 400 movably connected to the mobile platform 100 through a four-link lifting structure 500 and configured to clean at least a part of the operation surface by a wet cleaning method; wherein, the four-link lifting structure 500 is a parallelogram structure for switching the wet cleaning module 400 between a rising state and a sinking state, the rising state is when the wet cleaning module 400 leaves the operation surface, as Figure 15 shown; the sinking state is when the wet cleaning module 400 adheres to the operation surface, as Figure 16 shown.

[0133] As Figures 17-18 shown, the four-link lifting structure 500 includes: a first connection end 501 for providing driving force to switch the wet cleaning module 400 between a rising state and a sinking state; a second connection end 502 disposed opposite to the first connection end 501 and rotating under the action of the driving force. The first connection end 501 and the second connection end 502 are respectively located on both sides of the wet cleaning module 400, and the wet cleaning module 400 is lifted or lowered by stably providing lifting force.

[0134] Specifically, the first connection end 501 includes a first bracket 5011 fixedly connected to the bottom of the mobile platform 100; the first bracket 5011 is generally in a "U" - shaped structure, and the first bracket 5011 includes: a cross beam 50111, a first longitudinal beam 50114 and a second longitudinal beam 50115. The tail ends of the first longitudinal beam 50114 and the second longitudinal beam 50115 are respectively fixedly connected to the mobile platform 100 and the wet cleaning module 400 by bolts, providing the supporting force when the wet cleaning module 400 is lifted.

[0135] The first connection end 501 further includes a pair of first connecting rods 5012. One end of the pair of first connecting rods 5012 is rotatably connected to the first bracket 5011, and the other end is rotatably connected to the wet cleaning module 400. The pair of first connecting rods 5012 can be in a hollow structure, which can reduce the overall weight of the lifting end.

[0136] Optionally, the first connecting rod pair 5012 includes a first connecting rod 50121 and a second connecting rod 50122 arranged in parallel. The first ends of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 are rotatably connected to the first longitudinal beam 50114 via movable studs, and the second ends of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 are rotatably connected to the wet cleaning module 400 via movable studs. For example, the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 each have through holes with a diameter larger than the diameter of the movable stud, allowing the movable stud to rotate freely within the through holes. After passing through the through holes, the movable stud is fixedly connected to the first longitudinal beam 50114. When the motor 50131 provides tension to the second end via a cable, the first ends of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 simultaneously rotate around the movable stud at the first end, and the second end rises under the tension of the cable, causing the wet cleaning module 400 to rise. When the motor 50131 releases tension to the second end through the cable, the first ends of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 rotate in opposite directions around the movable stud of the first end, and the second end descends under the action of gravity, causing the wet cleaning module 400 to sink.

[0137] The first connecting end 501 further includes a power component 5013 for providing lifting power, causing the first connecting rod 5012 to rotate within a preset angle. The power component 5013 includes a motor 50131 for providing forward and reverse driving force; and a cable 50132, one end of which is connected to the motor 50131, for example, by winding with a gear connected to the motor's output shaft, achieving telescopic movement under the rotation of the motor. The other end of the cable is connected to the second end of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122, and the motor 50131 causes the second ends of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 to rise or fall via the cable 50132.

[0138] Optionally, the first bracket 5011 further includes: a slide groove 50112 extending along the surface of the crossbeam 50111, and a through hole 50113 penetrating the crossbeam 50111 and disposed at the extended end of the slide groove 50112. The cable 50132 is connected to the second end of the first connecting rod 50121 and the second connecting rod 50122 through the slide groove 50112 and the through hole 50113. The slide groove 50112 can restrict the movement direction of the cable and ensure the stability of the module lifting. The width of the slide groove should preferably match the thickness of the cable.

[0139] like Figure 19As shown, the second connecting end 502 includes: a second bracket 5021, fixedly connected to the bottom of the mobile platform 100; and a second connecting rod pair 5022, one end of which is rotatably connected to the second bracket 5021, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the wet cleaning module 400; the second connecting rod pair 5022 rotates with the rotation of the first connecting rod pair 5012. The second connecting rod pair 5022 can have a hollow structure, which can reduce the overall weight of the lifting end.

[0140] Specifically, the second connecting rod pair 5022 includes a third connecting rod 50221 and a fourth connecting rod 50222 arranged in parallel. The first ends of the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 are rotatably connected to the second bracket 5021 via movable studs, and the second ends of the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 are rotatably connected to the wet cleaning module 400 via movable studs. For example, both ends of the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 have through holes with a diameter larger than the diameter of the movable stud, allowing the movable stud to rotate freely within the through holes. After passing through the through holes, the movable stud is fixedly connected to the second bracket 5021. When the first connecting end 501 rotates under the drive of the motor 50131, the first ends of the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 simultaneously rotate around the movable stud at the first end, and the second ends of the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 simultaneously rotate around the movable stud at the second end, causing the wet cleaning module 400 to rise. When the first connecting end 501 releases the tension, the third connecting rod 50221 and the fourth connecting rod 50222 simultaneously rotate in opposite directions around the movable stud, and descend under the action of gravity, causing the wet cleaning module 400 to sink.

[0141] By using a four-bar linkage lifting structure between the wet cleaning module and the moving platform, the wet cleaning module can be raised and lowered relative to the moving platform. When performing a mopping task, the wet cleaning module is lowered to make contact with the ground. When the mopping task is completed, the wet cleaning module is raised to separate it from the ground, thus avoiding increased resistance due to the presence of the cleaning module when the cleaning equipment moves freely on the cleaned surface.

[0142] With the aid of surface media sensors and other sensors that can detect the type of surface to be cleaned, the lifting module can perform cleaning operations on different surfaces according to their characteristics. For example, the wet cleaning module can be raised on carpet surfaces and lowered on floor / tile surfaces for cleaning, thus achieving a more comprehensive cleaning effect.

[0143] With the development of robotic vacuum cleaners, existing robotic vacuum cleaners have evolved into cleaning robots that combine dry and wet cleaning methods. For example... Figure 1 The cleaning robot 2000 shown is equipped with both a dry cleaning module 151 and a wet cleaning module 400. During cleaning, the dry cleaning module 151 is located at the front of the walking direction to sweep the floor; while the wet cleaning module 400 is located at the rear of the walking direction and can mop the floor after the dry cleaning module 151 has finished sweeping. However, the wet cleaning module 400 is generally not suitable for cleaning carpets.

[0144] In practical applications, to prevent the wet cleaning module 400 from wetting the carpet, a lifting mechanism for the wet cleaning module is typically installed on the cleaning robot 2000. When the surface medium sensor 103 of the cleaning robot 2000 detects a carpet, the wet cleaning module can be raised so that it does not come into contact with the carpet when the cleaning robot 2000 passes over it. When the cleaning robot is detected leaving the carpet, the wet cleaning module 400 can be lowered again to mop and clean the floor.

[0145] However, due to the height limitation of the cleaning robot 2000, the range of height adjustment of the wet cleaning module 400 is very limited, usually only about 1mm. For long-pile carpets, mats, clothes, etc., even if the wet cleaning module 400 is lifted, it is difficult to avoid wetting these items, and there are even cases where the cleaning robot 2000 gets stuck and cannot move.

[0146] Based on this, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for a cleaning robot to escape from a carpet after completing a wall-cleaning task. Reference is now made to... Figures 20-25 The above situation will be explained.

[0147] like Figure 20 As shown, when the cleaning robot 2000 is cleaning a floor without carpet along a wall, or cleaning a corner far from a carpet, the robot uses a side distance sensor to sense the distance between itself and the wall, maintaining a constant distance and moving along the wall edge. The front side brush 157 sweeps dust from the wall edge into the main brush. It can also optionally use the wet cleaning module 400 to mop the floor. After completing the wall cleaning task, the cleaning robot 2000 automatically turns around to continue cleaning the floor, just as... Figure 20 As shown.

[0148] However, when the cleaning robot 2000 turned around after cleaning along the wall, it detected carpet 301, and the following occurred: Figure 21When a narrow gap 303 exists between the carpet 301 and the wall 302, the surface medium sensor 103 is located on one side of the side brush 157 when the cleaning robot 2000 enters the gap 303. This means the surface medium sensor 103 does not detect the carpet 301 and is not triggered. However, when the cleaning robot 2000 turns back after encountering an obstacle or completing wall cleaning, the surface medium sensor 103 is triggered. If the width of the gap 303 is insufficient for the cleaning robot 2000 to turn, it may get stuck inside, causing inconvenience to the user.

[0149] In addition, such as Figure 22 As shown, before cleaning along the edge of the carpet, if the cleaning robot 2000 detects the carpet, it will control the robot body to rotate at a certain angle, for example, as... Figure 23 The robot rotates 15 degrees counterclockwise. The cleaning robot 2000 will then move a short distance in the direction of this angle; after moving a short distance, it will return to the previous angle and continue moving in the same direction, while simultaneously detecting the presence of carpet. If carpet is still detected, it will continue rotating a certain angle and repeating the above process until no carpet is detected, at which point it will activate the carpet edge cleaning mode. Figure 24 As shown.

[0150] In practical applications, the specific rotation direction and angle, as well as the size of the small distance the vehicle advances, can be set according to the actual situation. This exemplary embodiment does not limit this.

[0151] After the cleaning robot 2000 finishes cleaning along the carpet edges, for example, Figure 25 As shown, after the cleaning robot 2000 finishes cleaning along the edge of the first carpet 401, it will turn around. However, during the turning process, it may detect another carpet, i.e. Figure 25 The second carpet 402 is located in the first carpet 401. If the gap between the first carpet 401 and the second carpet 402 is narrow, the carpet recognition device 103 will not detect the second carpet 402 when the cleaning robot 2000 enters the gap because it is located on one side of the first carpet 401, and therefore will not be triggered. However, when the cleaning robot 2000 turns back after cleaning along the edge of the first carpet 401, the carpet recognition device 103 will be triggered. If the gap is not wide enough for the cleaning robot 2000 to turn, it will get stuck and unable to come out, causing inconvenience to the user.

[0152] In the face of the above situation, refer to Figure 26The flowchart illustrates a cleaning robot escaping obstacle method provided by an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. This cleaning robot escaping obstacle method may include the following steps:

[0153] Step S2610: When the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area, in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor, the second surface medium area is detected, and the established room map is searched to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map.

[0154] Step S2620: If the second surface medium area exists in the room map, determine whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium area based on the boundary of the second surface medium area in the room map and the room map; if the path exists, control the cleaning robot to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0155] Step S2630: If the path does not exist, control the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0156] The cleaning robot escape method provided in this exemplary embodiment involves a surface medium sensor being triggered when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle while cleaning along the edge of a first surface medium area such as a wall. As the robot prepares to change direction to continue cleaning the floor, the sensor detects a change in the surface medium, identifying a second surface medium area such as a carpet. At this point, a pre-established room map is searched to determine if the second surface medium area exists in the map. If it does, the boundary of the second surface medium area and the room map itself are used to determine if a path exists that can bypass it, thus helping the cleaning robot escape. Specifically, if a path exists that bypasses the second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to follow that path to avoid the carpet and exit through the gap between the wall and the carpet. However, if no path exists, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along the already cleaned path to avoid the carpet.

[0157] The cleaning robot escaping obstacle method provided by the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provides a method for how to escape when the cleaning robot turns its direction after cleaning the narrow gap area between the carpet and the wall, thereby avoiding the situation where the cleaning robot gets stuck, improving the cleaning robot's ability to automatically escape obstacles, reducing the failure rate of the cleaning robot, and thus improving the user experience.

[0158] It should be noted that the above-described cleaning robot escape method applies to the cleaning robot in either a carpet-free cleaning mode or a wet cleaning module mode. In these two modes, the cleaning robot cannot go onto the carpet; that is, it only cleans the first surface medium area. Therefore, when encountering a carpet trap, the cleaning robot escape method provided by the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can control the cleaning robot to escape without going onto the carpet, thereby reducing the probability of the cleaning robot getting trapped.

[0159] In addition, the first surface medium here is one or more of the following floor surface media: wood flooring, carpet, tile, cement surface, etc.; the second surface medium is one or more of the following floor surface media that are different from the first surface medium: wood flooring, carpet, tile, cement surface, etc.

[0160] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, after the cleaning robot cleans along the edge of the first surface medium area and then turns to detect the second surface medium area, it is necessary to use other sensors to verify whether at least a part of the cleaning robot's body has entered the second surface medium area. If the verification result is still that at least a part of the cleaning robot's body has entered the second surface medium area, it is necessary to control the cleaning robot to run in reverse to first get out of the second surface medium area, so as to avoid the cleaning robot continuing to walk on the second surface medium area and wetting the carpet or damaging the cleaning robot.

[0161] By controlling the cleaning robot to run in reverse, the robot can be quickly and accurately controlled to detach from the second surface medium area, preventing it from getting stuck and spinning around in that area.

[0162] In practical applications, the presence or absence of the cleaning robot within the second surface medium area can be detected based on the actual situation of the cleaning robot. In this exemplary embodiment, the presence or absence of at least a portion of the cleaning robot within the second surface medium area is determined by detecting whether the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot is located within the second surface medium area. If the surface medium sensor is located within the second surface medium area, it can be determined that at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area. In this case, the cleaning robot needs to be controlled to detach from the second surface medium area by reversing its movement.

[0163] Commonly used surface medium sensors include infrared sensor recognition devices, ultrasonic sensor recognition devices, and main brush current detection devices. Different sensor recognition devices may employ different methods to determine whether the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot is located within the second surface medium area. This exemplary embodiment uses an ultrasonic sensor recognition device as an example to illustrate how to specifically detect whether the surface medium sensor is located within the second surface medium area:

[0164] In practical applications, ultrasonic sensor identification devices are used to transmit ultrasonic signals to the ground and receive the echo signals reflected from the ground. Because the waveform of the ultrasonic echo signal from a normal ground surface deviates from the waveform of the ultrasonic echo signal from the surface of the second surface medium region, such as... Figure 27 and Figure 28 As shown. Therefore, the surfaces of the first and second surface media regions can be distinguished based on the different echo signals. The second surface media region refers to the surface of the second surface media region laid on the ground surface. The waveform and number of peaks of the echo signal can both be used to characterize the signal.

[0165] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, detecting whether the location of the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot is within the second surface medium region includes: controlling the surface medium sensor to vertically emit an ultrasonic signal to the current surface and receiving the actual echo signal reflected by the current surface; determining whether the actual echo signal is different from the echo signal of the surface of the first surface medium region; if there is a difference, determining that the location of the surface medium sensor is within the second surface medium region.

[0166] In practical applications, after receiving an electrical signal, the ultrasonic sensor converts it into an ultrasonic signal and emits it downwards to the surface of the medium region. This ultrasonic signal is reflected by the surface of the medium region and received by the ultrasonic sensor, which then converts it back into an electrical signal. Specifically, determining the difference between the actual echo signal and the echo signal from the first surface medium region can include: determining whether the number of wave peaks in the actual echo signal is less than the number of wave peaks in the echo signal from the first surface medium region. If the number of wave peaks in the actual echo signal is less than the number of wave peaks in the echo signal from the first surface medium region, then the current ground surface is identified as the surface of the second surface medium region. Specifically, for different regions, the actual echo signal can be compared separately with the echo signal from the corresponding first surface medium region surface to improve the accuracy of second surface medium region identification.

[0167] This exemplary embodiment uses the echo signal of the first surface medium region as a reference to determine the echo signal of the second surface medium region, thereby reducing the difficulty of identifying the second surface medium region and improving the accuracy and precision of the cleaning robot in identifying the second surface medium region.

[0168] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when controlling the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path, it is necessary to first control the cleaning robot to reverse and move away from the second surface medium area as much as possible. If the cleaning robot's surface medium sensor is still located within the second surface medium area after reversing, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate in place until it is determined that the cleaning robot has left the second surface medium area. Then, it continues to rotate in place so that the cleaning robot's travel direction is parallel to the edge of the first surface medium area, and the cleaning robot is controlled to return in the travel direction.

[0169] If the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle during reversing and is unable to complete the reversing process, but still manages to detach from the second surface medium area, then the cleaning robot is directly controlled to rotate in place so that its direction of travel is parallel to the edge of the first surface medium area, and the cleaning robot is controlled to return in the direction of travel.

[0170] During the return process, the cleaning robot can be controlled to return in either a forward or reverse direction. In a forward return, the robot turns around based on the cleaned path and travels along that path; in a reverse return, the robot reverses along the cleaned path. In this exemplary embodiment, to prevent the cleaning robot from making further misjudgments and triggering an alarm, a reverse return is used to ensure the robot quickly returns to its initial position. This initial position can be the location where the cleaning robot begins cleaning along the wall; this exemplary embodiment does not limit this.

[0171] Determining whether the cleaning robot has detached from the second surface medium region is similar to determining whether the cleaning robot's surface medium sensor is already within the second surface medium region. If the actual echo signal is the same as the echo signal from the surface of the first surface medium region, then it is determined that the cleaning robot has detached from the second surface medium region. Further details are omitted here.

[0172] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if it is determined that the second surface medium region does not exist in the room map, the edge-along mode of the second surface medium region can be activated to scan the edge of the second surface medium region and store the scan results in the room map for future use.

[0173] Based on the room map recorded by the cleaning robot, it can be determined whether the cleaning robot's cleaned path is a wall-following path after it turns around and detects the second surface medium area. If the cleaning robot's cleaned path is a wall-following path, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along the wall-following path.

[0174] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, it is determined whether the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area based on the room map; if the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to return according to the cleaned path.

[0175] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the return of the cleaning robot along the wall path or the cleaned path includes controlling the cleaning robot to retreat along the wall path or the cleaned path; after the retreating distance reaches a preset distance, the robot rotates in place so that it can avoid the second surface medium area as soon as possible and escape.

[0176] In practical applications, when the backward distance reaches the preset distance, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate in place. During the rotation of the cleaning robot in place, if the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor is responded to and a second surface medium area is detected, it means that the cleaning robot has not yet avoided the second surface medium area, that is, it has not yet escaped the predicament. At this time, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue to retreat until the surface medium sensor can no longer detect the surface medium change signal, and then it is determined that the cleaning robot has escaped the predicament.

[0177] In the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the preset retraction distance can be at least half the body length. Generally, retracting half the body length ensures that the cleaning robot avoids the previous detection range during rotation. In practical applications, the preset distance can also be other distances greater than half the body length; this exemplary embodiment does not specify this.

[0178] In practical applications, the angle of rotation of the cleaning robot in place can be between 15 and 90 degrees. The angle of rotation in place can also be increased in a progressive manner. That is, if the cleaning robot cannot detect the second surface medium area when it rotates 15 degrees in place, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate another 15 degrees or other angles until it rotates to 90 degrees and still cannot detect the surface medium change signal. Only then is it determined that the cleaning robot has avoided the second surface medium area.

[0179] In practical applications, there are often situations where the cleaning robot does not have a current room map, such as when the cleaning robot enters a new room or when the cleaning robot has not yet created a room map. In such cases, it is difficult for the cleaning robot to determine in advance a path that can bypass the second surface medium area. In this situation, the cleaning robot escape method provided in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can achieve the purpose of escape by ignoring the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor and continuing to control the cleaning robot to turn and return along the already cleaned path.

[0180] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when the cleaning robot detects a second surface medium area while turning its direction, it can be helped to escape by directly determining whether a path exists that can bypass the second surface medium area. The method for determining a path that can bypass the second surface medium area can be to search an established room map to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map. If the second surface medium area exists in the room map, the existence of a path that can bypass the second surface medium area can be determined based on the boundary of the second surface medium area stored in the room map and the room map itself, thereby helping the cleaning robot escape. In other words, if a path exists that can bypass the second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along that path to avoid the second surface medium area, allowing the cleaning robot to enter normal cleaning mode.

[0181] However, if the second surface medium area does not exist in the room map mentioned above, the cleaning robot's boundary scanning mode can be activated to scan the edge of the second surface medium area and store the edge information of the second surface medium area obtained from the scan into the room map, thereby providing a reference for the next cleaning.

[0182] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, during the process of controlling the cleaning robot to turn and return along the cleaned path, the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor can be continuously detected to determine whether the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor has disappeared. If the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor disappears, the surface medium sensor will no longer send a surface medium change signal, indicating that the cleaning robot has left the second surface medium area. In this case, the cleaning robot can be controlled to continue moving forward a preset distance, and after moving forward the preset distance, the cleaning robot can be controlled to stop and rotate once in place to detect whether the cleaning robot has left the second surface medium area.

[0183] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot triggers a surface medium change signal during one rotation, it indicates that the cleaning robot has encountered a new surface medium area, or that the cleaning robot has not completely escaped the second surface medium area. In this case, the cleaning robot can be controlled to continue returning along the cleaned path to achieve the purpose of getting out of trouble.

[0184] However, if the surface medium sensor does not trigger a change signal during the rotation of the cleaning robot, it means that the cleaning robot has moved away from the second surface medium area and there is no new surface medium area blocking it. At this time, the cleaning robot can be controlled to enter the normal cleaning mode to continue cleaning the first surface medium area.

[0185] In practical applications, cleaning robots also include other functions that help achieve overall operation, which will not be elaborated in this exemplary embodiment.

[0186] It should be noted that the above method is not only applicable to cleaning robots with dry cleaning devices and wet cleaning modules, but also to sweeping robots with only dry cleaning devices, or mopping robots with only wet cleaning modules, and can also be other intelligent robots with autonomous walking mechanisms that need to recognize ground patterns, etc. The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein do not limit this.

[0187] It should be noted that although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0188] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a cleaning robot extrication device is also provided, disposed on a cleaning robot including a surface medium sensor, such as... Figure 29 As shown, the cleaning robot escape device 2900 may include: a surface medium determination module 2901, a first control module 2902, and a second control module 2903, wherein:

[0189] The surface medium determination module 2901 is used to detect the second surface medium area in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area; and to search the established room map to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map.

[0190] The first control module 2902 is used to determine, based on the boundary of the second surface medium area in the room map and the room map, whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium area if the second surface medium area exists in the room map; if the path exists, control the cleaning robot to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0191] The second control module 2903 is used to control the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area if the path does not exist.

[0192] The specific details of each cleaning robot escape device module mentioned above have been described in detail in the corresponding cleaning robot escape method, so they will not be repeated here.

[0193] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the execution device have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0194] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above-described method is also provided. Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of the present invention can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an implementation combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0195] The following reference Figure 30 To describe an electronic device 3000 according to this embodiment of the present invention. Figure 30 The electronic device 3000 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0196] like Figure 30 As shown, the electronic device 3000 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 3000 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 3010, at least one storage unit 3020, a bus 3030 connecting different system components (including storage unit 3020 and processing unit 3010), and a display unit 3040.

[0197] The storage unit 3020 stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 3010, causing the processing unit 3010 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, the processing unit 3010 can perform, as follows: Figure 26In step S2610, when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area, in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor, a second surface medium area is detected, and the established room map is searched to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map; in step S2620, if the second surface medium area exists in the room map, it is determined whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium area based on the boundary of the second surface medium area in the room map and the room map; if the path exists, the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area; in step S2630, if the path does not exist, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along the cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area.

[0198] Storage unit 3020 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access memory unit (RAM) 30201 and / or a cache memory unit 30202, and may further include a read-only memory unit (ROM) 30203.

[0199] Storage unit 3020 may also include a program / utility 30204 having a set (at least one) program module 30205, such program module 30205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0200] Bus 3030 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including memory cell bus or memory cell controller, peripheral bus, graphics acceleration port, processing unit, or local bus using any of the multiple bus structures.

[0201] Electronic device 3000 can also communicate with one or more external devices 3070 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 3000, and / or any device that enables electronic device 3000 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 3050. Furthermore, electronic device 3000 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 3060. As shown, network adapter 3060 communicates with other modules of electronic device 3000 via bus 3030. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 3000, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0202] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0203] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of the invention may also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when the program product is run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification.

[0204] refer to Figure 31 As shown, a program product 3100 for implementing the above-described method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. It may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0205] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0206] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0207] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0208] Program code for performing the operations of this invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0209] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0210] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

[0211] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a cleaning robot to escape from obstacles, used in a cleaning robot including a surface medium sensor, characterized in that, The method is used when the cleaning robot is in a mode that only cleans a first surface medium area, including: When the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area, it detects the second surface medium area in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor, searches the established room map, determines whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map, and executes the corresponding escape strategy based on the determination result. If the second surface medium area exists in the room map, and a path that can bypass the second surface medium area is determined based on the boundary of the second surface medium area in the room map and the room map, then the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area. The second surface medium is different from the first surface medium.

2. The cleaning robot escape method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If there is no path that can bypass the second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along the cleaned path to avoid the second surface medium area.

3. The cleaning robot extrication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the second surface medium region does not exist in the room map, the edge of the second surface medium region is scanned, and the scan result is stored in the room map.

4. The cleaning robot extrication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle and changes direction while cleaning along the edge of the first surface medium area, in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor and after detecting the second surface medium area, the method further includes: Detect whether at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area; If at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to reverse its direction to detach from the second surface medium area.

5. The cleaning robot extrication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Detecting whether at least a portion of the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium region includes: Detect whether the location of the surface medium sensor of the cleaning robot is within the second surface medium area; If the surface medium sensor is located within the second surface medium area, then it is determined that the cleaning robot has entered the second surface medium area.

6. The cleaning robot extrication method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Detecting whether the location of the ultrasonic sensor of the cleaning robot is within the second surface medium area includes: The surface medium sensor is controlled to emit an ultrasonic signal perpendicularly to the current surface and receive the actual echo signal reflected by the current surface; wherein, the surface medium sensor is an ultrasonic sensor; Determine whether the actual echo signal is different from the echo signal of the first surface medium region. If there is a difference, determine that the location of the surface medium sensor is already within the second surface medium region.

7. The cleaning robot escape method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Controlling the cleaning robot to return along the cleaned path includes: When it is determined that the cleaning robot has detached from the second surface medium area, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate in place so that the traveling direction of the cleaning robot is parallel to the edge of the first surface medium area; Control the cleaning robot to return in the direction it was traveling.

8. The cleaning robot escape method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After detecting the second surface medium region, the method further includes: Detect whether the cleaning robot's cleaned path is a wall-following path; If the cleaned path of the cleaning robot is the wall-following path, then control the cleaning robot to return along the wall-following path.

9. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the room map, determine whether the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area; if the area behind the cleaning robot is a second surface medium area, control the cleaning robot to return according to the cleaned path.

10. The method for escaping a cleaning robot according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The cleaning robot's return along the wall path or the cleaned path includes: The cleaning robot is controlled to retreat along the wall path or the already cleaned path; after retreating a preset distance, it rotates in place. If a second surface medium region is detected in response to a surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue retreating until the surface medium sensor no longer detects the surface medium change signal.

11. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the path does not exist, the method further includes: Ignore the surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor and continue to control the cleaning robot to turn and return along the cleaned path.

12. The cleaning robot escape method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes, while ignoring the surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor and controlling the cleaning robot to turn and return along the cleaned path: Detect whether the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor disappears; If the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor disappears, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue moving forward a preset distance, then stop and rotate once, and the cleaning robot is detected to see if it has left the second surface medium area.

13. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to claim 12, characterized in that, Detecting whether the cleaning robot has detached from the second surface medium area includes: If the surface medium sensor triggers a signal indicating a change in the surface medium, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue returning along the cleaned path. If the surface medium sensor does not trigger a surface medium change signal, the system enters normal cleaning mode.

14. A method for a cleaning robot to escape from obstacles, used in a cleaning robot including a surface medium sensor, characterized in that, The method is used when the cleaning robot is in a mode that only cleans a first surface medium area, including: When the cleaning robot sweeps along the edge of the first surface medium area and turns its direction, in response to the surface medium change signal of the surface medium sensor, the second surface medium area is detected, and it is determined whether there is a path that can bypass the second surface medium area. If the path exists, the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along the path to avoid the second surface medium area. The cleaning robot also includes a drive system; the second surface medium is different from the first surface medium.

15. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to claim 14, characterized in that, If the path cannot be determined, the cleaning robot is controlled to return along the original route.

16. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to claim 15, characterized in that, The control of the cleaning robot to return along the original route includes: Ignore the surface medium change signal from the surface medium sensor and control the cleaning robot to turn and return along the original path.

17. The method for a cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, Determining whether a path exists that can bypass the second surface medium region includes: Search the existing room map to determine whether the second surface medium area exists in the room map; If the second surface medium area exists in the room map, then based on the boundary of the second surface medium area and the room map, it is determined whether the path exists. If it exists, the cleaning robot is controlled to walk along the path and avoid the second surface medium area before entering the normal cleaning mode. If the second surface medium region does not exist in the room map, the edge of the second surface medium region is scanned, and the scan result is stored in the room map.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the cleaning robot escape method according to any one of claims 1-17.

19. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; as well as Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the cleaning robot extrication method according to any one of claims 1-17 by executing the executable instructions.

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